Madhorubaagan controversy: Submit original version in a week, says Madras HC

Chennai: The Madras HC declined to pass an interim order on the plea made against the grant of Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize for 2016 to Aniruddhan Vasudevan, for translating the novel Madhorubaagan, penned by Perumal Murugan, which created controversy, into English under the title One Part Woman.

Since the award is scheduled to be given at a function in New Delhi on August 26, a mention was made to take up the petition early Thursday afternoon.

In view of urgency of the matter and the intervening holidays, a division bench comprising Justices M.Sathyanarayanan and M.Sundar after a special sitting gave a week's time to the petitioner to produce the original version of the book Madhorubaagan.

The petition was filed by M.Loganathan, managing trustee of Kongu Kalvi Valarchi Arakatalai in Coimbatore.

According to Loganathan, the novel, originally written by Perumal Murugan, had created a controversy and the administration had banned it in 2016.

The novel made a particular reference to the Arthanareeshwarar temple in Tiruchengode where people belonging to Kongu Vellalar was the predominant community. Since the novel depicted the community women folk in bad taste and it contained vulgarities, there were protests and agitations.

Therefore, the local authorities had banned the novel. However, when the matter reached the Madras high court, the ban order was set aside. The translation of the controversial novel in English does not deserve any award, that too the one instituted by the great institution like Sahitya Akademi. The jurists, who evaluated the translated version of the novel were prejudiced and biased in selecting it for the award, he alleged.